Synthetic sugar may be effective against superbugs that are resistant to common antibiotics, reports Nature Communications.
Prof. Matt Cooper of the Australian University of Queensland, bacteria have a very hard time developing resistance to antibiotics based on a modified version of their own sugars. Bacterial cell membranes (structure) resemble the wall of a brick building – sugar polymers are the binder for individual bricks. The addition of modified sugar causes the mortar to stop sticking, the cell membrane breaks down and the bacteria die.
Also, some previously used antibiotics – such as penicillin or vancomycin – have a destructive effect on the cell membrane, but this time it is about blocking the process of joining the elements of the cell wall. Scientists working with the biotechnology company Alchemia have studied hundreds of versions of synthetic sugars to find those that kill bacteria but are not toxic to human cells.